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19 Minutes to a Clean House
      #125192 - 11/24/04 09:49 AM
Shell Marr

Reged: 08/04/03
Posts: 14959
Loc: Seattle, WA USA

19 Minutes to a Clean House
from Real Simple

The holidays mean unexpected guests, dropping in to spread cheer -- but causing you anxiety over a not-quite-clean house. Don't worry. We've got speed cleaning down to a science. Simply incorporate our 19-minute method into your routine and you'll have a tidy house all day, every day.

KITCHEN: 4½ MINUTES
• Wipe down the sink after doing the dishes or loading the dishwasher (30 seconds).
• Wipe down the stove top (one minute).
• Wipe down the counters (one minute).
• Sweep, Swiffer or vacuum the floor (two minutes).
Tip: Always start with the sink. "Keep it empty and shining," says Marla Cilley, author of Sink Reflections. A sparkling sink becomes your kitchen's benchmark for hygiene and tidiness, inspiring you to load the dishwasher immediately and keep counters, refrigerator doors and the stove top spick-and-span, too.

BATHROOM: 2 MINUTES
• Wipe out the sink (30 seconds).
• Wipe the toilet seat and rim (15 seconds).
• Swoosh the toilet bowl with a brush (15 seconds).
• Wipe the mirror and faucet (15 seconds).
• Squeegee the shower door (30 seconds).
• Spray the entire shower and the curtain liner with shower mist after every use (15 seconds).
Tip: Make cleaning the basin as routine as washing your hands. But don't stop there. Get the most out of your premoistened wipe by using it to clean around the edges of the tub and then the toilet before tossing it.

BEDROOM: 6½ MINUTES
• Make the bed (two minutes).
• Fold or hang clothing and put away jewelry (four minutes).
• Straighten out the night-table surface (30 seconds).
Tip: Make your bed right before or after your morning shower. A neat bed will inspire you to deal with other messes immediately. Although smoothing sheets and plumping pillows might not seem like a high priority as you're rushing to work, the payoff comes at the end of the day, when you slip back under the unruffled covers.

LIVING ROOM: 6 MINUTES
• Pick up crumbs and dust bunnies with a handheld vacuum (one minute).
• Fluff the cushions and fold throws after use (two minutes).
• Wipe tabletops and spot-clean cabinets when you see fingerprints (one minute).
• Straighten coffee-table books and magazines. Throw out newspapers. Put away CDs and videos (two minutes).
Tip: Start with the sofa -- as long as it's in disarray, your living room will never look tidy. Once you've fluffed the pillows and folded the throws, you're halfway done. Pop in a CD while you dust; you should be able cover the whole room by the end of the third track.




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Re: 19 Minutes to a Clean House new
      #125195 - 11/24/04 10:44 AM
Jennifer Rose

Reged: 04/02/03
Posts: 3566
Loc: Fremont, CA

Okay, anyone who can squeegee their shower door in 30 seconds and pick up crumbs with a handheld vacuum in 1 minute has my never-ending respect! LOL

Did you do all this in 19 minutes, Shell?

Maybe it's possible if you're on drugs like the author of that article!

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- Jennifer

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Re: 19 Minutes to a Clean House new
      #125198 - 11/24/04 10:54 AM
Shell Marr

Reged: 08/04/03
Posts: 14959
Loc: Seattle, WA USA

Quote:

Okay, anyone who can squeegee their shower door in 30 seconds and pick up crumbs with a handheld vacuum in 1 minute has my never-ending respect! LOL

Did you do all this in 19 minutes, Shell? Heck NO... more like 19 hours!! LOL No, once the place is CLEAN...it can stay that way for a few weeks.... then we have to start all over again. We are TRYING to be better about it. One good way is to ALWAYS be expecting company....we have people coming over several times between now and the Jan...that it will help.

Maybe it's possible if you're on drugs like the author of that article! LMAO!!




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Re: 19 Minutes to a Clean House new
      #125207 - 11/24/04 11:20 AM
RachelT

Reged: 07/01/04
Posts: 2350
Loc: Minnesota

Quote:

Did you do all this in 19 minutes, Shell? Heck NO... more like 19 hours!! LOL No, once the place is CLEAN...it can stay that way for a few weeks.... then we have to start all over again. We are TRYING to be better about it. One good way is to ALWAYS be expecting company....we have people coming over several times between now and the Jan...that it will help.
Jeesh! Within 2 days of cleaning, my house will look like a pigsty. DH has a few really bad habits, and I get tired of picking up after him all the time. So when I clean, I really have to clean and I end up having to sike myself up prior!




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~ Rachel (IBS-C)
If life hands you lemons, make lemonade!!

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FlyLady.com new
      #125237 - 11/24/04 01:25 PM
Snow for Sarala

Reged: 03/12/03
Posts: 5430
Loc: West Coast, USA

Shell!

Marla, the women that wrote Sink Reflections, has a website called Flylady.com. It ROCKS! I am hopeful one day I'll have the strength to follow her daily routine once again (did it last year in NY on my good days...it was AWESOME!)

Thanks Shell! You brought smiles to my face!

Love,

Ruchie

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Formerly known as Ruchie

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Re: 19 Minutes to a Clean House new
      #125245 - 11/24/04 01:41 PM
Sheri01

Reged: 04/19/04
Posts: 1731
Loc: New Jersey

Darn, I spend HOURS cleaning my tiny studio, one day of throwing dishes in the sink cause I got done school late at night and BAM! Everything goes to heck and I have to start all over.

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-Sheri

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Clutter guys.... new
      #125255 - 11/24/04 02:01 PM
Snow for Sarala

Reged: 03/12/03
Posts: 5430
Loc: West Coast, USA

LOL If you have clutter the system doesn't work.

If you have to take stuff off the stove (like last night's pots), it won't be so quick to wipe it down. But if you clear everything before bed and wipe it down every day....30 secs should be enough

Just a thought....

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Formerly known as Ruchie

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Re: 19 Minutes to a Clean House new
      #125259 - 11/24/04 02:05 PM
chinagrl

Reged: 12/18/03
Posts: 2439


Man, I wish this were the case... even if I could do those things in that amount of time, it doesn't account for the epic tumbleweeds of animal fur. Chasing those suckers down is quite time consuming.

Also, during the school year Eric and I are both so busy we're big slobs. When I'm consistantly working fifteen hour days I just can't be bothered cleaning things up.

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are you Naturally tidy or messy? new
      #125284 - 11/24/04 02:52 PM
cailin

Reged: 08/12/04
Posts: 3563
Loc: Dublin, Ireland

Is anyone on here a naturally tidy person?

If so you FASCINATE me! (I am a naturally clean but untidy person)

I have a friend who keeps all her lotions and potions bottles in their original cardboard boxes, perfectly lined up. Mine are thrown in a basket and sometimes I forget to put the lid back on. Which of us sounds like you?

Do you ALWAYS hang your clothes the moment you take them off and NEVER put them on the back of a chair?

I am anal about hoovering the mat in the sitting room and cleaning the worksurfaces but am really untidy in my bedroom and tend to leave a trail of shoes and bags behind me.

I'd be really interested to find out which you are!




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S.

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Major messy here! new
      #125290 - 11/24/04 02:57 PM
Snow for Sarala

Reged: 03/12/03
Posts: 5430
Loc: West Coast, USA

I am the queen of clutter....ESPECIALLY since I'm so achey these days and no energy to move more less clean up!

I would say I'm avergae when I feel good.

I HATE clutter but I sem to make so much of it!

I love organizin things.

I'm half and half LOL

GREAT post Sinead! *hugs*

Ruchie

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Formerly known as Ruchie

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Re: are you Naturally tidy or messy? new
      #125291 - 11/24/04 03:02 PM
heather7476

Reged: 08/09/04
Posts: 2996
Loc: South East Michigan

I am clean but cluttered!!! I don't have dirt around my house but you can almost always find a stack of mail and a pile of clothes laying around!!!

Not tomention NOBODY hangs up their coats in my house they all get thrown on the livivng room couch!!! We are always in the family room!!!

SO I am Cluttered Clean!!! I am anal about my Kitchen counters!! Can't stand for there to be things that don't belong on them!!!!!

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Heather7476


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Re: are you Naturally tidy or messy? new
      #125294 - 11/24/04 03:23 PM
RGS

Reged: 07/13/04
Posts: 120
Loc: Queensland, Australia

Yeah i'm with you, not that i have too many lotions and potions, but the minute i tidy my room it's messy again......generally without being a pig, life is an untidy affair by nature and i don't understand those whose entire lives become a slave to tidiness, takes up so much valuable time !!!!!

ralph

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Re: 19 Minutes to a Clean House new
      #125295 - 11/24/04 03:24 PM
heather7476

Reged: 08/09/04
Posts: 2996
Loc: South East Michigan

HA HAH!!! Whoever wrote that doesn't have kids a husband or any pets!!! It was good for a laugh tho!!!!! HAHAHAHA Clean a house in 19min!!

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Heather7476


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Re: are you Naturally tidy or messy? new
      #125296 - 11/24/04 03:30 PM
heather7476

Reged: 08/09/04
Posts: 2996
Loc: South East Michigan

My dad is a NEAT FREAK!!!! When he vacumes the lines form the vacume cleaner all have to be even!!! I am not kidding!! He will spend hours cleaning!!! He goes a little crazy when all the grandkids show up!!! You have to BE so CAREFULL over there if you spill something even on the tablecloth he goes nuts!! He has a room "The Living Romm" your not even allowed in!!! White carpet, White couches and VERY expensive nick knacks!!! It sucked when I was a kid!!! He was impossable to keep hapy where the house was concerned!!! Once my parents divored!!! We lived like pigs for a few weeks!! It was great!! Then we became normall and kept a tidy house!!!

Wonder why I am stressed about tommrow!!!!!!!

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Heather7476


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Re: Major messy here! new
      #125297 - 11/24/04 03:35 PM
chinagrl

Reged: 12/18/03
Posts: 2439


We're fairly messy. There's a definite level of mess that begins to upset me, so I don't think my house is repulsive or anything, but when I get really busy things tend to slide. Also, I can't be too picky because the animals are kind of slobs. There's pretty much hair on everything all of the time. And right now there are books and papers EVERYWHERE in the office because I have five days to finish everything for school. Alas.

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I'm such a neat freak - borders OC! new
      #125299 - 11/24/04 03:51 PM
Jennifer Rose

Reged: 04/02/03
Posts: 3566
Loc: Fremont, CA

My apartment is ALWAYS clean! My friends laugh when I say that I'm spending my Saturday morning cleaning my apartment because they claim there's nothing to clean! I have gotten a little bit more lax since I moved out by myself, but even so, I make sure that everything is in its place before I go to bed at night or before I leave. It's really sad.

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- Jennifer

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Re: I'm such a neat freak - borders OC! new
      #125300 - 11/24/04 03:55 PM
heather7476

Reged: 08/09/04
Posts: 2996
Loc: South East Michigan

You want to come live with me!!LOL!!!
I could use someone like you around here!!! I have given up!!! Men,children,cat = messy house ten minutes after I clean!!!

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Heather7476


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Oh dear... new
      #125307 - 11/24/04 04:17 PM
RachelT

Reged: 07/01/04
Posts: 2350
Loc: Minnesota

I'm a clean freak, but hate cleaning. If that makes any sense?! I dislike clutter, but have no choice but to ignore it lately. My kitchen is always cleaned up by the end of the night, but my living room looks like a pigsty. And yes, I tend to leave a trail of shoes too. Especially at the front door.

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~ Rachel (IBS-C)
If life hands you lemons, make lemonade!!

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NOT SAD AT ALL....I envy you! new
      #125308 - 11/24/04 04:24 PM
Snow for Sarala

Reged: 03/12/03
Posts: 5430
Loc: West Coast, USA

What I wouldn't give for the days I kept our house clean!!!

Being in pain has put a damper on our home. I actually asked hubby for a housekeeper for my b-day...hope I get it!

Our house is dirty (dog and hubby's bikes) AND cluttered! hubby works long hours and I rest long hours....so house=yucky mess! *sigh* The first thing I will do when I get my energy back and some major ain relief is CLEAN! I actually MISS doing the dishes! LOL

Ok, stepping down now.......

Ruchie

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Formerly known as Ruchie

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Re: are you Naturally tidy or messy? new
      #125333 - 11/24/04 08:17 PM
SLiCKsGiRL

Reged: 06/20/04
Posts: 428
Loc: Western Washington

Actually, I like to clean It's busy work for me, something I do when I'm stressed ... plus I must have things organized and I'm germ-o-phobic! Unfortunately, b/f and birds don't share those sentiments, so the cleanliness doesn't last for very long! Oh well ...

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~*Amber*~

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How to Clean, by nelly new
      #125449 - 11/26/04 06:37 AM
Nelly

Reged: 08/06/04
Posts: 4381
Loc: Within stray mortar fire of DC

How to Clean
by nelly


Come home, lock door.
Trip over dog toy.
Curse.
Look at boyfriend. Look at dog.
Sigh heavily. Go into bedroom.
Emerge from room in dirty jeans and college sweatshirt.

Go to kitchen. Hide dishes in dishwasher. Set stove on fire to remove grease. Avoid screaming boyfriend. Extinguish fire. Throw smoke detectors in closet, and remove batteries for remote control use later.
Douse kitchen in soapy water. Wipe down surfaces with dirty towel in hamper. Put towel back in hamper.

Find vacuum. Drag vacuum around room behind you, running in circles. Vacuum sock by accident. Unplug smoking vacuum. Hide vacuum in closet.

Notice dirty dog looking at you.
Take dog apart. Disinfect. Reassemble dog.
Find bf cowering in corner of his room. Notify bf that living room is off-limits.

Survey living room. Move living room trash into kitchen. Stuff trash into available grocery bags. Pile bags outside front door. Lock door.

Take random dirty socks out of hamper. Put them on hands. Wipe all available surfaces. Throw socks in washing machine. Forget.
Find BF. Order him into shower. Give him towel out of hamper.

Find remote control. Put batteries from fire detector into remote. Scowl at remote. Dismiss remote when you figure out that it's not programmed anymore. Scowl at TV. Get out of comfy bed and turn on TV manually. Get back in bed. Fall asleep.

~nelly~


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Re: How to Clean, by nelly new
      #125465 - 11/26/04 09:28 AM
SLiCKsGiRL

Reged: 06/20/04
Posts: 428
Loc: Western Washington

LoL! That's pretty good Nelly!

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~*Amber*~

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Re: How to Clean, by nelly new
      #125479 - 11/26/04 10:51 AM
cailin

Reged: 08/12/04
Posts: 3563
Loc: Dublin, Ireland

LOL Nelly
mine is quite similar! I'll post it later if I get a chance.

Thanks for making me laugh!


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S.

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Re: are you Naturally tidy or messy? new
      #125504 - 11/26/04 01:29 PM
Dr. Spice Yamin

Reged: 04/15/04
Posts: 3286
Loc: Maryland

I am pretty clean too.. my friends come over and think the place is immaculate.. but I usually think its dirty, so I must be cleaner than most. Since grad school and getting my very own place i've become more lax about leaving dirty dishes in the sink or throwing some clothes on a chair.. but they never last more than a night. I think because my apts relatively small I need to keep it tidy or else it looks way worse than it really is.

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Re: How to Clean, by nelly new
      #125583 - 11/26/04 08:32 PM
Nelly

Reged: 08/06/04
Posts: 4381
Loc: Within stray mortar fire of DC

Happy to oblige!!! And it's allll truuuue.



~nelly~

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